Next Stop: Frontline

You’ve been asking us to inject new life into gameplay with larger teams, bigger maps, and new combat setups for a while now. We’ve been working on a mode like this for a while now, and today, we are thrilled to finally reveal it to you. It’s called Frontline and is making its way into the Sandbox test server on April 10, inviting you to test large-scale combat with a set of new mechanics, objectives, and more.

Frontline is going to be 30v30, with five-man-strong Platoons, all fighting in Tier X vehicles (medium/heavy tanks, TDs and arty) and Tier VIII light tanks. The latter is a temporary restriction caused by the technical nuances of testing. Eventually, the mode will switch to Tier X vehicles of all classes. And there’s no way on earth you could fit them all on a 1 km2 map. So, we’re introducing 9 km2 battlegrounds, divided into nine sectors, with one side playing in attack and the other in defense. Each stage unfolds on a certain territory. In attack, you are fighting for control over it. In defense, you’re tasked with preventing enemies from capturing it.

This is just a quick sneak peek of the new mode. We’re saving a few tidbits for the big announcement on the Sandbox Blog. Head over there to read up on Frontline gameplay mechanics, victory conditions, and more when the test begins on April 10:

To make this mode happen without hampering the work on the game’s core elements, we teamed up with Austrian game developers Bongfish. The instant chemistry between our devs and the guys from Bongfish flourished into a remarkable partnership. They worked on Frontline under our guidance, while our in-house development team focused on fine-tuning game balance, revising the matchmaker, fixing SPG gameplay, and evolving the game’s graphics.

Just because the mode rolls out on Sandbox doesn't mean the work is done. In fact, the most important stage begins now. We are asking all of you to join and help us test and polish Frontline’s every component—from UI to game balance—leading to release. The team will be monitoring feedback and game data very carefully, investigating and fixing issues you report, and reviewing your suggestions.